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Original poster

Schiol parents- Please keep your children at home if you suspect covid!

182 replies

TeenyQueen · 15/01/2022 21:41

Rant-
I'm a pregnant SEN teacher and I've just tested positive for covid, after spending the week in a small classroom with 3 children that tested positive on Thursday. Another child was sent to school, on a shared transport bus, even though the mum and a sibling both had covid. Another child was sent to school with symptoms and both the child and mum have now tested positive.

My class has two teachers, we've both tested positive today. Fortunately we're all double vaccinated and boosted, but I'm heavily pregnant and asthmatic and currently feeling very unwell.

I know for a fact that some parents send their children to school even when they display symptoms because keeping them at home is inconvenient. Well good luck sending them to school now because we will have no staff to teach them!

I also wish that parents were honest about testing their children. Many of mine have very challenging behaviours so I seriously doubt that they are being tested, even when the parents say they have done it.

I just hope that the baby and I will be ok. I also have to self isolate away from my DH and little toddler to protect them, which is breaking my heart 😢.

OP posts:
MissM2912 · 15/01/2022 22:12

arethereanyleftatall It wouldn’t- we would take it in turns to work from home.

It’s about taking a common sense approach- if in the position to keep children off of Covid in the house hold as parents already isolating you should keep child off too where possible. My children’s school has sent work home and were in agreement to keep child off. Nearly half the class has caught it now and will all be off for at least another week- teacher has provision in place for this. Not rocket science.

NiceTwin · 15/01/2022 22:13

My dd had a headache, she is in year 11, I am not keeping her off with a headache.
School tested her, she was positive, I was gob smacked, she really wasn't ill.

She's still home, I work in a school and other dd works in a nursery, we're carrying on as normal as the rules state we should.

scammedmum29 · 15/01/2022 22:13

I’m sorry you are unwell and hope you recover quickly.

The child with symptoms should not have been sent to school. However, children that do not have covid can still attend school even if there are household members with it- families are not breaking any guidance in sending them.

Yummymummy2020 · 15/01/2022 22:14

That absolutely sucks op. It’s great you are vaccinated, hopefully that will reduce the severity of it. I really feel for you, I’m not long over having a baby and I was absolutely terrified. It’s so rampant now in the community. I really hope that you feel better soon. I agree about people sending kids in with symptoms, it’s really unfair. It’s also really unfair a lot feel backed into a corner and have no choice. The whole thing is crap really.

cruelladevill · 15/01/2022 22:14

The guidelines should definitely be changed.

I had covid and my children were negative, fortunately I had no way of getting them to school without me taking them, on day 4 they were both positive. Although the school kept calling and hassling me that they both needed to be in!!

User2638483 · 15/01/2022 22:15

It’s a really tricky one, on the one hand it seems bonkers to have them in school when they’re bound to get it. On the other hand they may not get it, or may not get it for quite a few days so could end up isolating needlessly multiple times, or isolating for 17 days on the trot or something.

cruelladevill · 15/01/2022 22:15

I hope you're okay OP!

Cam2020 · 15/01/2022 22:16

I'm sorry you have covid and you and bandy are ok, but that's the guidance they haven't done anything wrong.

And you've chosen to have a baby during a pandemic, knowing yours is not a WFH job. Routine is especially important for many children with SEN and many parents of SEN children find isolating especially difficult. Surely you know this?

BrambleRoses · 15/01/2022 22:16

I don’t see any reason to isolate from your toddler and husband,unless either are particularly vulnerable.

TrainspottingWelsh · 15/01/2022 22:17

@MissM2912 and by the same token, some parents will be anxious about how they will feed their dc or keep the roof over their heads if they have to take time off work. And I have no idea why anyone believes their covid anxiety should automatically trump the rights of others to avoid extreme financial hardship.

arethereanyleftatall · 15/01/2022 22:17

@MissM2912

arethereanyleftatall It wouldn’t- we would take it in turns to work from home.

It’s about taking a common sense approach- if in the position to keep children off of Covid in the house hold as parents already isolating you should keep child off too where possible. My children’s school has sent work home and were in agreement to keep child off. Nearly half the class has caught it now and will all be off for at least another week- teacher has provision in place for this. Not rocket science.

There you go then, that's the difference.

Your family isn't implicated financially if you keep your children home, so it's very easy to say it's common sense/not rocket science/selfish to send them in.

But perhaps if you couldn't earn any money if you have to look after your well child at home, again, and perhaps if that lack of money meant no food for your family; then it's not rocket science to go to work as per the guidance.

Hb12 · 15/01/2022 22:19

Ah @missm2912, a 'common sense approach' is slightly different to your earlier Sending kids to school when there is Covid in the family home is utterly selfish 🤔

If a parent can't work from home, what should they do then?

Justgorgeous · 15/01/2022 22:19

@MissM2912. Oh yes that small thing the economy that we are trying to protect, what a pesky nuisance that is. I welcome the 5 day rule.

LovelyMoans · 15/01/2022 22:20

I suspect by spring they will do away with requirements to isolate for all but those who work with the very vulnerable

MissM2912 · 15/01/2022 22:20

TrainspottingWelsh If you are off yourself isolating you will already be financially impacted! My point is- if there is Covid in the house and parent is off- child should be off too with work sent home to do.

MissM2912 · 15/01/2022 22:21

Hb12 If the Parent has Covid they won’t be at work!
And with regards to the five day rule- good luck with getting a negative lateral flow on day 4 and 5!

Hb12 · 15/01/2022 22:22

So you want to legislate that teachers should.provide work for those isolating because a family member has tested positive?

Hb12 · 15/01/2022 22:23

Obviously if a parent has covid they're not working. We are talking about keeping healthy children at home unnecessarily.

Lifeismeh · 15/01/2022 22:24

My sons nursery asked me to continue sending him when my husband and parents had it.

My cousin and her household had it and was asked to still send her (negative) son to school.

We followed the guidance.
Those sending children with symptoms though are massively unreasonable.

TrainspottingWelsh · 15/01/2022 22:25

@arethereanyleftatall exactly.

Telling other people to go without income- common sense, the decent thing to do.

Wanting to make ends meet and provide basic essentials- selfish, inconsiderate, guidelines should be changed to prevent it.

MissM2912 · 15/01/2022 22:25

But the chances are they won’t be staying healthy and are further spreading it in the classroom impacting on both their teachers and the other children in the class- some of whom may be vulnerable!
And I am pretty sure teachers would rather send work home than risk having a child who is incubating Covid in their classroom 🙄

NothingIsWrong · 15/01/2022 22:26

We've been told that we must keep sending children in as long as they themselves are testing negative. Two of mine are on school transport and the other can walk herself to and from, so in they go.

MissM2912 · 15/01/2022 22:28

TrainspottingWelsh When have I said to go without income???
I have said- DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL IF YOU YOURSELF ARE COVID POSITIVE AND HIGH CHANCE CHILD IS INCUBATING AND GOING TO SPREAD IT IN CLASSROOM

QforCucumber · 15/01/2022 22:30

@MissM2912

But the chances are they won’t be staying healthy and are further spreading it in the classroom impacting on both their teachers and the other children in the class- some of whom may be vulnerable! And I am pretty sure teachers would rather send work home than risk having a child who is incubating Covid in their classroom 🙄
What about the LA, who are fining parents as unauthorised absentee children as there is no reason for child not to be in school? For DH and I that’s £60 per parent, per child, per week. £240 for keeping our kids off for one week while they are perfectly well and not positive.
whowhywhenwhat · 15/01/2022 22:31

BUT the government has access to all the research. They have said continue to send them if they test negative. Rightly or wrongly.

However, who should we believe? Those running the country or someone on MN?